Automatic label wrapper

ABSTRACT

A method of applying to containers such as bottle necks labels or decorative foils which are longer than 180* of the container circumference, and usually are more than 360* of the container circumference. The containers are advanced on a path past a label applier and past label pressing apparatus. The middle part of the label is applied to a container leaving label wings extending away from the container. At least one wing is blown at least partially around the container and the container is then rotated intermittently as it passes the label pressing apparatus, thus to wipe the wings around the container.

O Unlted States Paten 11 1 1111 3,859,155 Dullinger 1 Jan. 7, 1975 1AUTOMATIC LABEL WRAPPER 2,936,921 5/1960 56111111 156/568 [75] Inventor:Karl Dullinger, Neutraubling,

Germany 3,116,193 12/1963 Ehlenheck 156/215 47,044 4/1966 Pechmann156/447 [73] Ass1gnee. Hermann Kronseder, Neutraublmg, I

Germany 3,379,601 4/1968 Pagay 156/571 [22] Filed: July 261 1973 PrimaryExaminer-Douglas J. Drummond 21 L 383 029 Assistant Examiner-J.Gallagher Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph P. House, Jr. Related U.S.Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 120,513, March 3, 1971,

abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. [57] ABSTRACT 6631289251 19671Pat-N-3,5851580- A method of applying to containers such asbottle necks labels or decorative foils which are longer than 1 1 Cl156/212 56/444, 156/447, 180 of the container circumference, and usuallyare 156/568 more than 360 of the container circumference. The lClontainers are advanced on a path past a label applier Fleld of Searchand past label ressing apparatus The pan of 156/458, 358, 481, 212, 218,217 the label is applied to a container leaving label wings extendingaway from the container. At least one wing References Clted is blown atleast partially around the container and the UNITED STATES PATENTScontainer is then rotated intermittently as it passes the 1,445,3212/1925 Johnson et a1 156/456 label Pressing apparatus, thus to P theWmgs 2,315,349 3/1943 Oslund 156/567 around 1116 n iner- 2,495,174l/l950 McClatchie 156/456 2,773,617 12/1956 Weiss 156/568 4 Clams 10Drawmg Fr PATEHTED JAN 7 I975 FIGS. l-7 APPEAR .IN US. PATENT AUTOMATICLABEL WRAPPER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This applicationis a continuation of my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No.120,513 filed March 3 1971 now abandoned, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of my then copending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 663,289 filed Aug. 25 1967, now U.S. pat. No. 3,586,580 granted June22, 1971.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention,labels or decorative foils which are longer than 180 of the containercircumference and which may be longer than 360 of the containercircumference are applied to the container without the need forcomplicated label pressing and wiping apparatus. The middle part of thelabel is applied to the container, leaving label wings extending awayfrom the container. One or both wings is then blown at least partiallyaround the container. The container is then advanced past the stationarylabel pressing apparatus and the container is rotated intermittently inthe course of this advance, thus to wipe the label wings around thecontainer.

In one embodiment the container is rotated in opposite directions. Inanother embodiment the container is intermittently rotated, always inthe same direction.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 through 7 are shown and described insaid II of the container.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating position III of thecontainer.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although the disclosure hereof isdetailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplifythe invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. Thescope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

The entire disclosure of said copending U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,580 isincorporated herein by reference.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate a modification in which the containers 133are rotated on the pallets intermittently in the same direction, namely,clockwise. In these views the containers are illustrated with foursectors which are alternately shaded white and black to visually portraythe relative rotative position of the containers from one station to thenext.

As in the previously described embodiment, the labels are taken from amagazine 134 by a rotary transfer drum 135 which rotates past glueroller 136 and transfers the containers to the label applying turret 32which is of the same general construction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and inwhich there is but a single label clamp 137 at the leading edge of eachsponge pad 60 and also a single air jet nozzle 80 also at the leadingedge of the pad 60, with reference to the direction of rotation of theturret as indicated by arrows 138.

Disposed along the path of the containers indicated by line 141 arefixed label pressing devices such as the fixed brush 142, fixed rollers143, 144, 145, 146, paired curved brushes 147, 148 and sets of followingrollers 151, 152.

In this modification the label 153 is brought to position 1, shown inFIG. 8, with its leading edge engaged by clamping finger 137. Padapplies the middle portion of the label to the container 133. Additionalrotational movement of the label applying turret 32 in the direction ofarrow 138 and movement of the container 133 on its path 141 in thedirection of arrow 154 will bring the turret 32 and container 133 totheir position 1] shown in FIG. 9. At this point the clamp finger 137releases the leading label wing 155 and a jet of air blown throughnozzle will blow the leading wing 155 partially around the container133. This will bring the wing 155 in range to be contacted by thestationary brush 142 when the container reaches its position 111, shownin FIG. 10. In its respective positions I, II and III the container 133has not been rotated but has simply been advanced along its path 141.

Brush 142 will wipe the leading label wing 155 around the container.Continued travel of the container 133 on its path 141 will sweep thecontainer past the stationary label pressing rollers 143, 144 to furtherwipe and smooth the label against the container.

Between its positions indicated at 156 and 157 the container supportpallet will turn clockwise through ap proximately degrees, thus torotate the container as it passes the stationary label rollers 145, 146to bring the trailing wing 158 almost completely aroung the container.

Between its position shown at 157 and its position shown at 161, thecontainer will not be turned but will simply be advanced on its path 141between the brushes 147, 148 to wipe and smooth those portions of thelabel wings which have already been pressed against the container.

Between its positions shown at 161 and 162 container 133 will be rotatedclockwise through another degrees approximately as it passes a set ofstationary label rollers 151, thus to complete the wipe of the trailingwing 158 completely around the bottle and in ovelapped relationship tothe leading wing 155. Rollers 151 could be replaced by brushes, ifdesired.

The container then proceeds further along its path 141 without turningand while the set of brushes or rollers 152 continue to smooth and pressthe label wings into overlapped relation.

4 While a wing leading clamp finger 137 is illustrated in FIGS. 8through 10, it is an optional feature of the invention that a set of twoclamping fingers, one at the leading edge and one at the trailing edgeof the label, be incorporated in the turret 32, as illustrated in FIGS.3 and 4, in the event of especially long labels.

I claim:

I. A method of applying labels around the outside of a container, saidmethod comprising the steps of advancing a series of containers on apath past a label applier and past label pressing apparatus, applyingthe middle of a label to a side part of a container but leaving'leadingand trailing label wings extending away from the container, firstblowing the leading wing at least partly around the containers, pressingsaid leading wing against the container, rotating said container for thefirst time in one direction while pressing a portion 3,859,155 3 4 ofthe trailing wing against the container, advancing the 2. The method ofclaim 1 in which the container is container while it is not rotating andconcurrently rotated for the first time through about 90.

pressing portions of both wings against the container, 3. The method ofclaim 1 in which the container is rotating the container for the secondtime in the same rotated for the second time through about [05 directionwhile pressing the remaining portion of the 5 4. The method of claim 1followed by the steps of furtrailing wing against the container andoverlapping it ther pressing the overlapped wings together.

against the said leading wing.

1. A method of applying labels around the outside of a container, saidmethod comprising the steps of advancing a series of containers on apath past a label applier and past label pressing apparatus, applyingthe middle of a label to a side part of a container but leaving leadingand trailing label wings extending away from the container, firstblowing the leading wing at least partly around the containers, pressingsaid leading wing against the container, rotating said container for thefirst time in one dirEction while pressing a portion of the trailingwing against the container, advancing the container while it is notrotating and concurrently pressing portions of both wings against thecontainer, rotating the container for the second time in the samedirection while pressing the remaining portion of the trailing wingagainst the container and overlapping it against the said leading wing.2. The method of claim 1 in which the container is rotated for the firsttime through about 90*.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which the containeris rotated for the second time through about 105*
 4. The method of claim1 followed by the steps of further pressing the overlapped wingstogether.